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Cedar Rapids Gazette (Newspaper) - August 24, 1974, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Sprint Sapid A These particular Greek ruins date back to August 19, 1974, A.D.' Editorial Page Saturday, August 24, 1974 Check before firing away TWO RECENT letters to the People’s forum again have pointed to the need for checking facts before advocating action, particularly when an explosive issue is involved. The letters urged readers to write to the Children’s Television Workshop of New York City, producer of the popular “Sesame Street” and “Electric Company” series, and to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, protesting plans for abortion-related programs next season According to the first letter (which apparently prompted the second), 1H episodes of a “Sesame Street” health series would use the word “abortion” in talking about family planning, and the series would also feature an episode involving a pregnant eight-year-old who is denied an abortion by her mother. Pretty questionable use of tax funds, if true. But is it true 0 “There is absolutely no foundation to the rumor that an abortion is going to be portrayed on ‘Sesame Street ,” said Stewart Aw brev, director of information for the workshop. “No plans have ever been discussed for discussion of those topics (abortion and family planning) on a children’s program,” he added. Awbrey said the rumors began reaching the workshop over a year ago. He explained the course of the rumor, as traced by public broadcasting officials. In February, 1973, he said, a seminar was held to discuss what subjects should be covered in a television show — for adults — dealing with health problems. The seminar was one of nine similar planning meetings. One of the subjects discussed was family planning, and among the participants was the late Dr. Alan Guttmacher, a planned parenthood advocate. After the seminar. Awbrey said, Guttmacher included in his newsletter some of the views he presented to the meeting. The views were picked up and interpreted by some people as the views of the television workshop. “His newsletter is very well read, apparently, by opponents to any kind of family planning,” said Aw brev. Awbrey said a “pro-life” newsletter in Clovis, Calif., used the remarks to suggest “Sesame Street” would be used as a propaganda tool for pro-abortionists. “He had his own interests, and his enemies had their own interests, and it kind of put the Children’s Television Workshop in the middle,” Awbrey said. He added that family planning was one of more than IOO subjects considered for the new series (its title is “Feeling Good”), and was not one of the ll chosen for the show. Awbrey said that even if family planning had been chosen, abortion probably would not have been included because the program deals with preventative health care and planning. The whole issue recalls a flood of letters that swamped CBS two years ago regarding that network’s plan to show X-rated movies (no such plan was ever considered). This is not meant to ridicule writers to the People’s forum or others who were concerned about what certainly sounded like a shocking plan, particularly to pro-life adherents. It is meant to suggest that it is wise, particularly when dealing with emotional issues, to check the source and veracity of rumors before passing them on. Moscow &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Olympiad IF&quot; THE International Olympic Committee decides to hold the 1980 Olympiad in Moscow, Soviet authorities will do their “utmost” to make the games successful. That’s the promise as relayed by Tass, Soviet news control agency. No doubt Kremlin chiefs are hoping the invitation evokes among IOC members only the most pleasant recollections of Soviet participation in the Olympics. Tiny Olga Korbut charming the world with her gymnastic grace, Russian runners-up heartily congratulating western world gold medalists, and sundry other scenes proving that the Russians indeed are a sporting people. If deportment of athletes were the only criterion on which Soviet participation in the Olympics were judged, there would be no quarrel from here on the Moscow Olympics idea. But other considerations becloud the horizon. As the record book on international relations shows indelibly. People s forum Victimized To tho Kditor Some response to the letter tin the Roosevelt hotel strike (Forum, Aug. 20) should Im* made As a regular patron who had affection for the dining room employes and showed it in both tips and words of appreciation, I ani saddened by their being victimized by labor union agitation not based on reasonableness It isn t reasonable to strike against the only inn for transients that is unionized especially when it is already paying more with better benefits than the other competing inns and paying waitresses OO percent more than the federal minimum wage rate for waitresses The strikers are circulating a paper citing the Roosevelt’s wage rates as “unbelievable ” Of course, these wage rates don’t compare with those in some other kinds of work Not even in a communist state are wages uniform It doesn’t make sense to compare different kinds of wage rates anyway, e g teachers’ wages with trash collectors’ wages There are other important factors in employment than wage rates Wages are what the public will sup- the Soviets are the world’s worst hosts when asked to be polite to ideological adversaries. Rudeness certainly held sway at the University Games held in Moscow last year. Not only did the Soviets bar South Korean and Israeli journalists, they sent soldiers to harass persons cheering for the American basketball team. The most recent courtesy breach, Moscow style, involved a visit by tne Chilean soccer team in World (’up competition. The Marxist Allende government controlled Chile when the visit was scheduled, but was overthrown before the game was played The upshot: a Chilean journalist harassed and the soccer match blacked out in the Soviet media. The 198(1 Olympics in Moscow? If the International Olympic Committee doesn’t torpedo the proposal, another bitter dose of Olympic games politicizing most surely will follow. port much more than what a company wants to pay If wages get beyond what the people will support, the business will have to fold up or be drastically altered Many a union strike has simply struck out the jobs altogether, leaving the employes, management, and the publican holding empty sacks, with the employes suffering the most FJeanor Taylor 2444 Grande avenue SF Who controls? To the Editor: In relation to a world wide, socialist conspiracy, which is in harmony right now, I ask the following questions of all my fellow Americans — especially to the middle class: Ever wondered what is meant by the term, “insider’’ and who it refers to? Ever wondered what a former FHI man, Mr Dan Smoot, has to say about this conspiracy in “None Dare Call It Conspiracy” 9 Ever wondered what function some of those large foundations were organized for and by whom, and why these particular foundations are tax free? Ever wondered who really financed the Bolshevik Revolution 9 Ever wondered what the word “Establishment” really means? Ever wondered what is the OC-\ lupus arm of this world conspiracy in the Lesson in political roller-coaster ride By William Safire WASHINGTON - In what was laughingly referred to us the election campaign of 1972, President Nixon made a token foray into New York State’s Westchester county by motorcade and wound up at the Pocantico Hills estate of Gov. Nelson A Rockefeller. The reception was held in the palatial indoor sports house, a tennis court with two huge fireplaces at either end The Rockefeller and Nixon staffs mingled, their old rivalries stifled by circumstance, with the Rockefeller people envious of the hauteur of presidential power and the Nixon staff envious of the hauteur of Rockefeller wealth. Framed in a mezzanine archway overlooking the entrance hall, amidst giant portraits of the Rockefeller brothers in World war II uniforms, two women sat apart from the staffs. They were old friends with memories to share and secrets to keep. One was Rose Mary Woods, longtime secretary to Richard Nixon; the other Ann Whitman, former secretary to President Eisenhower, and. after lie left office, secretary to Rockefeller. When they first met, in the early Amnesty stand makes sense Ford turns to the middle By James J. Kilpatrick WASHINGTON — Within a couple of hours after President Ford completed his remarkable amnesty statement in Chicago, TV newsmen had lined up a few young exiles in Toronto The exiles proceeded to spit in the President’s eye Ford s statement was remarkable for several reasons Both in tone and in substance, his gesture of conciliation represented a sharp break from tilt-Nixon administration’s position of “never ” Demonstrating a rare political courage, he made his statement before James J. Kilpatrick an audience — the Veterans of Foreign Wars — that predictably would disapprove Coupled with his nomination the next day of Nelson Rockefeller for the vice-presidency, the amnesty statement indicated a deliberate refashioning of Ford’s own conservative image. He is moving to the middle of the road. The two actions, taken together, will produce a considerable thunder on the right Many conservatives (I count myself among them) have no use for the contentious attitude displayed by draft-dodgers and deserters Many of us wanted Harry Goldwater, if a 66-year-old man were to be named as vice-president; and many of us still regard Rockefeller as a patsy who floats over the political net like a soft second serve There will be time enough, as confirmation hearings proceed, to get to Rockefeller; he has many good points, and if enough freaks of the New Left start shrieking “Attica'’’ he may look better by reason of those who oppose him F ord s statement on amnesty was far removed from the unconditional amnesty demanded by spokesmen for the exiles tem I £ % &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;; United States today 9 Ever wondered why the middle-class people seem to ‘ pay for everything and who is running this show 9 Ever wondered who really controls the stock market and how “they manipulate it? Ever wondered what the term “new world order ’ really stands for 9 Ever wondered why the public may be confused by television news and newspapers? Ever wondered why the Chase Manhattan Hank in New Y ork is so chummy with Moscow 9 Ever wondered why Nelson Rockefeller wants to In* President and what he really stands for 9 Ever wondered why our defense budget is so astronomically high and why the plan is to keep it high? Ever wondered who is at the apex of world socialism right now 9 Ever wondered why socialism is not a movement by the downtrodden? Ever wondered how Ian Fleming was able to make his James Hood character (concerning a fight against an international conspiracy) so real? Read “None Dare Call It Conspiracy” and find out what you will never learn from newspapers and TV Phil Olmstead 1745 Higley avenue SF: Their position seems to go something like this: “We draft-dodgers and deserters are morally pure. All those who sanctioned the war in Vietnam are morally rotten We were right All others were wrong. It is not we who have broken laws; it is Kennedy. Johnson, Nixon, and six Congresses who have broken laws Unless we are given an apology, back pay, other rewards, and the hero’s reception to which we are plainly entitled. we will not condescend to return to a corrupt and degraded country that does nett deserve our purity and light.’’ This was the general attitude displayed by the spokesmen interviewed in Canada on Tuesday The general reaction of many observers here at home will be to suggest that the exiles stay in Toronto* until their beards grow down to their ankles. More particularly, this is likely to be the bitter reaction of many whose husbands, sons. and brothers died or suffered wounds in Vietnam The grim fact cannot be blinked away that for every serviceman who deserted because he could not stomach Vietnam, another youth went in his place. F'or every young man who dodged the draft, another had to be called for military Pay, dignity both up duty. Many thousands who obeyed the law did not like the law; but they did not take the law into their own hands. The President made two points that ought to be kept in mind as public discussion continues. The first is that “there are differences’’ among the exiles. The second is that those who wish to come home &quot;should have a second chance to contribute their fair share to the rebuilding of peace among ourselves and with all nations.’’ In brief, they must “earn” their re-entry. This makes sense Deserters fall into different degrees of culpability. Those who fled to avoid the draft may have fled for reasons ranging from heartfelt conviction to cowardice. Not all the exiles may be as contemptuous of compensatory public service as their TV spokesmen seemed to be. In tipping the scales of justice to the side of leniency, Ford has extended a hand He has rejected the concept of “revenge.” Most Americans. I believe, will buy that firm but compassionate position They may be willing to swallow their prejudice. It remains for the exiles to swallow their pride iglon RetFiinking drudgery By Richard I. Worsnop MANY AMERICANS pay only lip service to the notion that all work. be it ever so humble, is of equal dignity. In practice there is an instinctive tendency to look down on those who push brooms, scrub floors, or collect wastes for a living These and other “jobs of last resort&quot; traditionally have been among the lowest-paying available Attitudes toward menial work may now be changing, however. The realization is growing that such jobs are truly essential and that those who perform them should earn a decent wage and be treated with respect Richard I. \ Worsnop J* : h Where this approach is taken, the results often are dramatic. In San F'ran-ciseo, for instance, thousands of people have applied to join the city’s street-sweeping force The reason is that street-sweepers now earn $12.(MMI a year and will get a $5,(HHl-a-yeur raise in June. 1975 A provision of the city charter ties the sweepers* salaries to those earned by industrial and construction workers in the Hay Area Much the same situation prevails in New York City Sanitation workers’ pay there approximates that of firemen and policemen, and all three groups are covered by a generous pension plan As a result, few New York sanitation workers ever quit, and there is a waiting list of thousands of job applicants Menial workers play a large arid increasing role in the nation s economy “Declines in some menial jobs. most notably maids and housekeepers, have been more than offset by increases in other occupations.’’ Edmund Faltermayer wrote in Fortune “The 1970 census showed 1,250,000 janitors’ al work in the I S , up from 750.000 a decade earlier In the same period the ranks of unskilled hospital workers, i.e., ‘nursing aides, orderlies and attendants,’ rose by nearly SO percent to 720,000, and the number of ‘garbage collectors’ doubled And the trend seems likely to continue ’’ Another trend is tit dignify menial work by inventing new job descriptions and titles Thus, maids become domestic workers, copy boys become news aides, janitors become building service aides, and so on These cosmetic changes mean little, however, unless accompanied by more generous pay and/or opportunities for advancement In this connection. American Airlines’ treatment of its low-status employes is instructive. At New York's LaGuardia airport, the 185 workers who clean the airline’s planes are called “cabin service clerks.” They earn from $4 57 to $5 15 an hour, and many have moved on to more prestigious positions within the company Even now, the attitudes of many menial workers to their jobs is not as negative as might be supposed In an interview with author Studs Terkel, a man who works in a rendering and glue factory told of being twitted by his friends about the nature of his work He silences them by reminding them of the many consumer products his plant produces directly and indirectly A garbage truck driver interviewed by Terkel also took pride in his work “My kids would just love to see me do something else,” he said “I tell em, Honey, this is a good job There’s nothing to bi* ashamed of We’re not stealin’ the money You have everything you need ’ ” To be sure, the driver’s views are not universally shared by those in his line of work Hut better pay arui courteous treatment can do wonders for selfesteem And they can make better workers I(Jftoriol Meseurrh Report* 19511’s, the relationship of the two women was secretary of the President to secretary of the vice-president Ann Whitman was much closer to the center of power, but she soon reached an understanding with Rost* Mary Woods, ami would provide a quiet channel into the Oval Office for Rose’s boss whenever the gate was barred by Eisenhower Chief of Staff Sherman Adams. Both ladies left Washington in 1961 Rose to follow the defeated Nixon to California, Ann the retired Eisenhower to Gettysburg Both came to New York a few years later. Ann to work for Nelson Rockefeller’s presidential bid. Rose as secretary to lawyer Nixon Although most Rockefeller people treated Nixon as a pariah, Ann would help her swamped friend with answering fan mail late at night, until a time came when it appeared their bosses might once again be rivals, and they discreetly parted Curious link Miss Woods watched Mrs Whitman and her boss make a bid for th** presidency in 1964. bravely taking the wave of hatred from the Goldwater forces at the San Francisco convention; Rose made sure Ann knew that when the galleries went wild after the Goldwater acceptance remark defending extremism, her boss, Nixon, sat in his front row box in stony silence. The two ladies were not in communication while their bosses competed for the nomination in 1968. but their life experience crossed in a curious way after Nixon’s election victory. Chief of staff ll. R Haldeman, studying the Eisenhower staff structure, was struck by what he termed “the Ann Whitman end run.” He became determined to limit access to thaPresident to one door — controlled by the chief of staff — and not to permit Rose Mary Woods to control an alternative entry, as Ann Whitman had. After a fierce battle, President-elei t Nixon decided that Rose Mary Woods would not have direct access to the Oval Office. The desk that Ann Whitman had occupied with Eisenhower, and that both women had hoped would be occupied by one of them again, went to an assistant to the chief of staff Rose was humiliated; in silent fury, she and her boss rode down iii New York’s Pierre hotel elevator in what an associate later described as “the longest elevator ride ever taken by a man who had been recently elected President of the United States.” During Nixon’s term, despite the slight dow ngrading of her job to help Haldeman avoid the &quot;Whitman end run.” the relationship of Rose and Ann was that of President’s secretary to governor’s secretary: Rose was closer to the power, and after Haldeman s fall, as close as one could get The other day, as Rose was clearing out the files of her boss’ shattered presidency, she watched Ann’s boss being nominated for vice-president She put in a call to her old friend and the two ladies wished each other well as their ships once again passed in the night Perhaps in that archway at Pocantico. or after the latest flip-flop of fate, the two ladies may have reflected on the vicissitudes of politics Rose’s roller coaster had gone from the bottom (the 1952 fund crisis), to the top (the I960 nomination), to th** bottom again (political disaster in 1962), back to the top (election in 1968), and finally crashing through the bottom a couple of weeks ago Ann’s had startl'd at the top (the Eisenhower years) gone to the bottom (the 1964 Rockefeller humiliation) to a lingering limbo that seemed to have no future in the earlv I97h's, to the top, or at least ( lose* enough to the 1 top. today. Secrets What could these two stalwart, Ohio-born women tell us, if they were not intensely tightlipped repositories of all the confidences of the Republican party of the past generation? I hey could tell us there is no security atop power s greasy pole More important, they could tell us that there is no permanent defeat certain for th** man who keeps trying Most important, they could tell us that loyal partisans can maintain contact, in friendship and in civility, through all the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune and billion dollar fortunes, to come out iii the end with mutual respect NP* York Time, Servup Insights 1**4 Uj I hi., * *4 Hi ■ B ' l% » It has always seemed to me th the best symbol of common sen was a bridge Franklin Delano Roojevi